Magis report
John XXIII College
Term 2 is set to be another exciting and busy time for Magis! We have a number of competitions and events scheduled.
Magis Academic Challenges:
- College Chess Tournament
- College Public Speaking Competition
- Homeroom Challenge – Humanities, Art, Languages & Literature
State Competitions:
- WADL Debating
- Mock Trials
- Senior Ethics Olympiad
- World Scholars - Regionals
- Other smaller individual competitions including: PESA; Ethics Olympiad Case Writing Competition etc.
Other Events:
- Magis Personal Projects Exhibition
- High Achievers Breakfast
- UN Youth State Conference
- Astronomy Talks and Excursion to the Observatory
- Ethics Development Day
- Academic Mentoring
We will also be forming teams for the following Term 3 competitions:
- Tournament of Minds (STEM)
- Creative Edge
- Model UN
- Middle School Ethics Olympiad.
This week, Magis students have been busy attending meetings and training sessions for World Scholars, Debating (pictured below at yesterday’s meeting), Mock Trials and Senior Ethics – and our Year 7 and 8 Magis Elective students have been attending mentoring meetings ahead of their Personal Project Exhibition later this term. We continue to reiterate to our students the importance of reading their Monday newsletter (the Magis Memo), the Magis Noticeboard, and Magis Teams notices carefully and attending all practice sessions, development seminars and team meetings. Most current competitions are team events, so individual commitment to a group effort is vitally important. Here’s to striving for the Magis in Term 2!
MAGIS: OPPORTUNITIES TO DO MORE!
College Public Speaking Competition
Entries are now open for our annual College Public Speaking Competition. This is a prestigious event in our College Calendar, with the grand final attended by students, parents, staff, and alumni. Pictured below are our 2023 Public Speaking Champions (Year 12 College Captain and Magis Captain tied for first place). Students can speak for up to 3 minutes on a topic of their choice. Heats will be held in Weeks 13 and 14, with the top 3 students from each year group progressing to the Grand Final. Trophies and medals will be awarded to the top public speaker and runner up public speaker in each year group. These prizes will be awarded at our Magis Awards Breakfast in Term 4. Please see the flyer for further information. Entries are due Monday 29 May (Week 12).
Ethics Olympiad Case Writing Awards
Ethics Olympiad are holding a case writing competition with prize money to be won. Submissions should follow the general format for Ethics Olympiad cases: a scenario, between 400 and 800 words long, which highlights a clear moral issue and is appropriate for middle or high-school students and is written in a way that encourages civil discourse. The scenario should be framed so the central issue is clearly moral and not simply or primarily legal or professional. Knowledge of the structure of the Ethics Olympiad competition is important. If you haven’t taken part previously, I encourage you to either speak to a student who has competed or contact the Head of Magis for more information (copies of past cases can be provided). Entries must be submitted by email to the Head of Magis by Friday 19 April (Week 10).
UN Youth - WA State Conference
UN Youth WA State Conference is a three-day event for passionate young people to gather from across Western Australia. The theme for this year’s conference is ‘The Future of Your Democracy’. Students will discuss some of the most important issues facing our global community and develop a greater understanding of the role they can play in shaping our global future. Open to students in Years 9 to 12, the conference will be held at Seaside Camp on Friday 19 April to Sunday 21 April (Week 10). The cost of the conference is $260 per person (all-inclusive of food and accommodation). If a weekend of leadership, diplomacy, and advocacy sounds good to you, then join other like-minded youths at the 2024 State Conference. For further information please click on the link: WA State Conference | UN Youth Australia or speak with the Head of Magis.
Plain English Speaking Award
The Plain English Speaking Award is a public speaking competition open to senior secondary school students (Years 11 and 12). It was created to encourage the best use of the English language in Australian schools. Taking part has been recognised by thousands of young people as a valuable experience and, for the participants and winners, a worthy mention in their resume. We will be selecting two students to represent our College in the State Semi-Final next term. If selected, students will need to prepare an eight-minute speech on a topic of their choice. At the competition, students will also deliver a three-minute impromptu speech. The topic to be given by the adjudicator on the day. The winner of the state final will represent the state and their school at the national final in Sydney, with the winner of the national final to represent Australia in an international competition conducted by the English-Speaking Union in London. Expressions of interest are to be emailed to the Head of Magis before Monday 22 April (Week 11).
What Matters? Writing Competition
Inspired by Gough Whitlam’s commitment to involving young people in shaping Australia’s future, the What Matters? Writing competition is currently open to school students in Years 5 to 12 from Australia. Responding to the simple question ‘what matters?’, entrants are free to express their views on any matter they care about. Part writing exercise, part civics and citizenship activity, What Matters? Is the perfect opportunity to empower students to raise their voices on issues that are important to them and know that their perspectives are valuable, no matter their age, background or viewpoint. Entries can be fiction, non-fiction, poetry or prose of up to 600 words, and submitted online. Please click here for more information, or speak with the Head of Magis.
Entries close Friday 17 May (Week 14).
Term 2 Calendar
You can keep up to date with Magis events by following the Term 2 calendar, which can be accessed by clicking on the link below.
Daisy Farley
Head of Magis - Gifted & Talented Program